


Finding home

by Cuddlekins



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Drama, Fluff, Growing Up
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-10-06
Updated: 2012-10-06
Packaged: 2017-11-15 18:43:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,805
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/530470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cuddlekins/pseuds/Cuddlekins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>That's it, Bro has had enough, he's net letting his parents hurt them anymore.<br/>it's time for him and Dave to leave...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Finding home

**Author's Note:**

> Your name is Bro Strider, you are fifteen years old, in one hand you are holding the hand of the only thing in the world that has ever meant anything to you, in the other hand you are holding a suitcase, filled with what few possessions you think you'll need...

Bro strider looked down and into the bruised eyes of the eight year old boy who stood beside him, his tiny hand trembling in his own, which was trembling even more.  
He was scared, he wasn't really sure how things would happen now, he knew what to do, he just hoped that it was going to work, but he couldn't let that show to his little brother.

“It's okay Dave, we'll be safe now, I'm not gonna let them hurt my lil bro again” Bro assured his younger sibling, his voice deep, and cracking a little as a surge of emotion slipped past his cool facade and into his voice.  
He shook his head and wiped a hand across his forehead before grabbing his suitcase.  
“Grab your bags too little guy, come on, we're gonna go find somewhere to stay, somewhere safe...” Bro said as he quickly marched himself and his brother away from the hell on earth that they had lived in together for 9 years since his little brother was born,  
He flicked his tongue forwards and through the gap left by the tooth he had just lost to his dead beat father, he looked down at Dave and gave him a broad smile, the kid reluctantly returning the expression.

Bro's grin grew wider, his brother still had all his teeth left, though he was sure there were still a few baby teeth to come out, he hoped there were, because maybe his little bro didn't believe in the tooth fairy, but Bro didn't care, he'd slip a dollar under the kids pillow anyway.  
He'd do all the things that their parents had never done for them, he'd keep his brother safe, he'd love him, and he'd be more of a rather than their real dad had ever been.

Together the two walked in silence for a few hours, only the sound of their footsteps, bro's slow and loud, Dave's fast and quiet, echoed between them. The true silence only broken when Bro had to stop and carry Dave in his arms, sometimes having to stand still and silent for a few minutes while Dave cried to him and whispered about going back home.  
Bro having to remind him every time that “Home is with us two, just us two, we're always home if we got each other little bro, now come on, chin up and back straight, we can't cry...not yet”.  
For a few hours they walked, the pace slow, the tension in the air drowned out only by the sadness that hovered between the two, only Bro's determination keeping them moving forwards as they finally began to reach the edge of the suburban ghetto they'd lived in and began to walk towards the centre of town.

Bro had worked for a few months a summer for a few years for a guy who used to run a shop in the city, he'd retired a few years back so he could raise his son better after the boys grandma had passed away.  
Eggbert was his name, Bro never learnt his first name, guy was pretty secretive, used to run a jokes shop, he was always playing pranks on Bro and his customers, guy was sneakier than a ninja.  
Bro smiled as he remembered the daily pranks the man had played on him, often assisted by his equally Dorky son, maybe his little Bro could meet him, pretty sure his name was John or something.

Bro was hoping he could find out where the guy lived, maybe ask him to look after Dave for a few days while he found them somewhere proper to live, and found himself a job, he didn't know what he'd do, probably just work the day shift in some store, beeping stuff through a checkout while his bro was in school.

Bro paused in his walking and looked up at the sun for a moment, adjusting his distinctive glasses as he did so.  
He'd have to drop out of college, forget about that art's course he'd been doing...  
Whatever, that didn't matter, there'd be plenty of time for that when his little bro was all safe and grown up, for now he had to be there for Dave.  
Everything had to be for Dave now, he couldn't let his little bro get hurt like this again, not anymore.

“Bro, why did we stop?” 

Bro shook his head and looked down at his little brother.  
“Haha sorry Dave, I just...got distracted, come on, we're on the edge of the city now, it's not far, we just need to go see a man that big Bro once knew okay Dave? Not much more walking now” Dave assured his little bro, his voice becoming a little frantic as he knelt down on one knee and ruffled his brothers hair, the younger child whining and trying to fix his now scruffy appearance.  
“Broooooo!” He whined before giggling a little as bro pulled the young man into his arms and placed him atop his shoulders.  
“Come on Dave, just, hold out okay, just hold on...” Bro muttered to himself before grabbing Dave's small suitcase and dragging it along with his own, marching quickly towards the centre of town, trying not to let his usual bounce into his step so that he wouldn't tip his brother from his shoulders.  
His eyes felt slightly damp behind his glasses as he finally reached the right place.  
It was a little taxidermists and hunting enthusiasts shop now, he was pretty sure it was run by some old geezer called Harley.

Bro stepped inside and walked over to the long glass counter, letting Dave down and putting a hand on the back of the young kids head when he felt him cling closely to his leg, the dozens of stuffed creatures frightening the timid young man.  
After a few minutes an elderly but well built man, wearing a pair of large round spectacles and an old hunting outfit walked out from a door behind the counter.  
He paused a moment to twiddle his moustache before stepping to the counter and nodding at Bro.  
“Good afternoon young man, how may I help you?” He asked politely.  
“hey, my names Bro, this is my brother Dave,I was wondering if you know what happened to the guy who used to own this place, when it was joke shop, did he leave a phone number behind or something?” Bro asked him politely in his slow southern drawl.  
“Hrrrrm, you mean old Eggbert, yes I believe he may have left a number that I was to ring in case of emergencies, left an address too, turns out he may have left a few hidden practical jokes around the store, told me I should give him a bell if I ever happened to set one of the dastardly things off!” the old store keep said with a bawdy laugh before disappearing back through to the door he had entered from.  
He returned a few minutes later and handed Bro a piece of paper.  
“Here you go young man, that's his phone number and his new address, he lives in the suburbs towards the east side of the city, I believe if you catch the number forty seven bus from the stop down the road it should take you to within a few streets of his house. Good luck with whatever you need him for young man” The old man waved Bro goodbye as he scooped Dave back onto his shoulders and walked from the store, looking from side to side before quickly rushing to the bus stop when he saw the bus the old man had mentioned turning the corner onto the street.  
He flung out his arm as he ran, cursing violently as the bus zoomed by him.  
“Dammit” Bro muttered as he tried to catch his breath, his hands resting on his knee's before he heard the screech of a pair of breaks and looked up to see the bus now resting at the bus stop, the puttering of the engine playing like music to his ears.  
He smiled and ran to the bus paying for two tickets before taking a seat at eh back of the bus, his brother sitting in his lap and breathing on the window, drawing faces and shapes into the moisture that accumulated on the cool, smooth surface.  
Bro watched this for a while before leaning in when he saw his little bro drawing the same shapes over and over again.  
“Whats that little bro?” he asked, pointing at a circle that had a second smaller circle in the middle.  
“I don't know, I saw them at school once, there was a man who came in, he had a table and it had those on it, I liked the music Bro” Dave explained simply, trying to piece together his memories as he continued to draw the shapes of records and instruments into the glass.  
Bro just smiled and nodded at what his brother said.  
So his little bro liked DJ's huh? He'd have to remember that.

After sitting on the bus for nearly an hour it began to approach the stop that Bro thought they needed to get off at. His legs had cramped a dozen times now, but he hadn't moved, not wanting to disturb his brothers drawing, or disturb him now as he lay sleeping against Bro's chest.  
Bro let out a muttered curse before patting his brothers head and shaking him gently.  
“Hey, it's time to wake up little bro, we're here” he said softly as he ushered his brother onto his feet and grabbed their bags, placing a hand on the back of Dave's head as he rushed the sleepy child off the bus and onto the rapidly darkening streets of the city suburbs.  
He looked around at the large houses and shook his head, what he'd give to live in a home like one of these.  
Sighing he grabbed his brothers hand and gave him his small suitcase.  
“Come on” he said simply before treading slowly along the streets, looking at the piece of paper he had been given, his eyes fixed on the tiny map that the old man had drawn.  
It was a pretty crude map, but it worked, because eventually Bro and Dave stood in front of the door of a large house, smaller than the others on the street, but larger than any house in the ghetto that they'd lived in for years.  
“Okay, well, here go’s little Bro, wish big Bro some luck” he said as he leaned down and patted his bro's head before removing his sunglasses and slipping them into his pocket.  
He fixed his hair and straightened his back before reaching up a shaking hand to rap gently against the door...


End file.
